Center of Attention

Brad DeLong: In the Spring, Webloggers Start Monkeying with the Code… “While getting ready for my classes this spring on the Great Depression and the coming of the mixed economy, I found myself noticing something in Robert Stern’s classic article on “The Commerce Clause and the National Economy” that I had not noticed before: the presence of Frederick H. Wood, formerly general counsel for the Southern Pacific Railroad (the “Octopus”) and principal litigation partner at Cravath in the 1930s…” Continue reading.

Dick Polman wrote down his thoughts on the Marcotte – McEwan – Edwards – Donohue controversy… and, more in general, on whether or not it’s wise for politicians to hire bloggers… “Putting bloggers into a political campaign is a task akin to putting the head of a dog on the body of a camel. Or vice versa. The two elements simply donâ€™t mesh very well. Contemporary presidential candidates tend to measure each word carefully, for fear of offending somebody; bloggers inhabit a freewheeling universe were crudeness is often prized and where the intelligence-challenged can spew with impunity…”
Read more at Dick Polman’s American Debate.

The Staunch Moderate wonders whether Romney’s religion is a problem for his Presidential aspirations: “Now the media is questioning whether we’re ready for a Mormon president. Hillary as the first woman president or Obama as the first black president? Great! But Mormons aren’t as popular. Romney has joked about his religion to diffuse the subject. And in reality, it probably isn’t what will sink his candidacy. Instead, flip-flopping on issues like abortion for political favorability will more likely be his undoing.”
Read the entire post at the Staunch Moderate.

Starbucks Republican at Centerfield on Obama: “Rather than pore over details that in the grand scheme of things don’t amount to jack, I would like us to think 5 years down the road and not 5 minutes. What kind of personalilty best fits the Presidency at this point in our history? What kind of image do we want to present to the rest of the world? How do we want the President to communicate to the public, to foreign leaders, and to members of Congress both in and outside of his or her own party?” Is – according to S.R. – the answer to these questions Barack Obama?
Go find out.

Jeff Jarvis spent a day at NPR: “Iâ€™ve thoroughly enjoyed my day at NPR. Smart people, but then thatâ€™s obvious. Andy Carvin, our host, live-blogs the morning and I think heâ€™ll put up videos from the afternoon. Dinner remains undocumented and thatâ€™s a good thing, after a few glasses of Italian-joint plonk…
I think the reality of today is that itâ€™s NPRâ€™s turn to rescue the stations. But I also wonder whether they can afford such loyalty. The value of broadcast distribution is bound to continue to diminish and some portion of the 300-odd NPR affiliates are mostly distributors, rather than creators. So the question is what an NPR station should become.”
Read more at the BuzzMachine.